Cross-country skier Klaebo cruises to relay gold for Norway

PYEONGCHANG: Cross-country skiing prodigy Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway cruised to his second Olympic gold medal in Pyeongchang yesterday, joining up with Martin Johnsrud Sundby to win the men’s team sprint relay by 1.71 seconds.

Denis Spitsov and Alexander Bolshunov, representing the Olympic Athletes from Russia, took silver and Richard Jouve of France held off Sweden’s Calle Halfvarsson to claim bronze with Maurice Manificat.

“It is an incredible feeling to finish first here,” Klaebo told reporters. “Both of us have been very nervous today and I did not sleep good today also.” Sweden led a tightly-bunched field for most of the race as Marcus Hellner skirmished with Sundby at the front of the field, but the Norwegians soon exerted their cross-country dominance once again.

The Nordic nation had taken three of the four men’s cross-country gold medals on offer in Pyeongchang and with the 21-year-old Klaebo anchoring the race, any team looking to beat them would have to make an early move. Klaebo surged on a tough uphill stretch during the fourth lap to give Sundby a slender lead on his last trip around the course.

Sundby increased the lead to over five seconds before handing back to Klaebo for the final lap and his young team powered up the first hill and away from the rest of the field. In the end he was unthreatened, turning the final corner and gliding across the line at a leisurely pace for his second gold. Sundby now has two gold medals and one bronze to show for his efforts in Korea.